


stop the world (i wanna get off with you)

by dingletragedy



Series: i think i wanna marry you [1]
Category: EastEnders (TV)
Genre: M/M, Tooth-Rotting Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-22
Updated: 2020-04-22
Packaged: 2021-03-01 18:35:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,388
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23791702
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dingletragedy/pseuds/dingletragedy
Summary: “I’m going to ask you to marry me someday,” Ben says, gentle. It shocks Callum, the way it’s almost conversational, whispered between them.Callum opens his eyes. Ben is already watching. “And I’m going to say yes.”
Relationships: Callum "Halfway" Highway/Ben Mitchell
Series: i think i wanna marry you [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1716268
Comments: 19
Kudos: 128





	stop the world (i wanna get off with you)

**Author's Note:**

> hello it's me again!!!! i've been struggling a lot with my writing recently (too much time to overthink in lockdown it seems) but today i managed to write this lil thing for a prompt on Tumblr. it's literally just fluff (plot? what plot?) but i hope u enjoy and don't find it too awful!!!
> 
> title inspiration from the arctic monkeys song!!!

Ben collapses onto his elbows and lifts a shaky hand to Callum’s jaw. His eyes are sated and searching, mouth bitten red-raw. He strokes his thumb softly over Callum’s cheekbones and kisses him delicately, just a gentle press of their lips.

“You’ve got no idea how beautiful you are,” he whispers into Callum’s mouth. “No idea how much you mean to me. I can’t put it into words, Cal.” 

Callum inhales slowly, heart a solid, thumping weight in his chest, shakes his head and says, “neither can I. I just know that you’re everything.”

Ben bumps their noses together, kisses him again. Even his lips feel warm and flushed, turning the world into a slow-motion, syrupy haze. His free hand slides over Ben’s ribs.

“I didn’t hurt you, did I?” Ben asks quietly. “Your ribs, I mean. Forget sometimes.” 

“No, no,” Callum reassures him, another steady shake of his head. He knows how Ben can get, often losing himself in the tormenting memories of a time they couldn’t have _this._ He settles his fingers over Ben’s jaw and brings his gaze up from his chest to his eyes once more. “Not at all.”

“Okay,” Ben sighs in relief, bottom lip bitten into his mouth. “Good.”

Once their eyes catch, Callum finds it hard to pull himself away. They’re akin to magnets, the strongest kind, heavy-duty or something. All he can feel is the warmth pooling in his stomach and spreading to his cheeks as Ben watches him in the dark. 

“Shove over for a sec, babe,” Ben says, breaking the silence, and puts his hands on his chest, rolling Callum gently onto his side so he can sit up freely, their legs still tangled together. 

Ben reaches down to pick his crumped t-shirt off the ground and slowly back on his back, breathes out as the cooler air licks at his damp skin. Callum follows his actions despite still feels so warm in the cool air of the night, but it’s in the best of ways, sated and content. 

Turning back to Ben, Callum slides his body down the bed, nuzzles into his chest and tips him onto his back so he can rest his chin there, arms folded. Ben smiles fondly at him, then reaches for Callum’s hips to tug him on top of his body completely, their legs slotted together.

“Are you wearing one of my shirts, again?” Callum questions in mock offence, but the way he’s heart grows twice the size tells him all he needs to know about how he feels seeing Ben in his clothes. 

“And is it a problem if I am?” Ben says as he folds his arms over Callum’s chest again, mischief in his eyes despite the way they’re drooping. “I’ll wash it, promise.”

“You? Doing laundry? I’ll believe it when I see it,” Callum says playfully. Ben rolls his eyes and swats at him.

“Shut it,” he says, but his attempt and looking menacing is ruined by the giggles that tumble from his lips as soon as he speaks, eyes going all crinkly.

“I don’t mind,” he voices into the quiet that settles over them. “Quite like it, actually, 

_“Huh?”_

“I like it. You wearin’ my clothes,“ Callum repeats, careful to talk with slow, steady words.

“Yeah?” Ben breathes out.

“Yeah,” Callum nods, reaches up to brush a stray curl piece of hair from Ben’s forehead. “I guess I just like seeing you comfortable and relaxed and, like- I don’t know, it reminds me that you’re mine you know? _We’re each others._ ”

“I know,” Ben says, strains his neck to press a gentle kiss to Callum’s jaw. “Don’t have to wear your clothes to know that, though.”

“Yeah, I know,” Callum’s smile turns sheepish. “Makes you look so fit, though.”

“Oh, stop it, you sap,” Ben teases, his eyes are shiny in the light, shadowed and gentle.

“M’, notasap,” Callum says, nose and eyes scrunching.

“Sorry, what was that?” Ben inclines his head towards him in question, laughing as Callum furrows his brow and pouts.

“I said,” Callum starts, but he barely has time to repeat himself before Ben’s fingers are pressing into his waist, and he’s screaming and trying to kick away.

“Ha!” Ben shouts, triumphant. Callum squirms below him, begging him to stop as he tries to grapple at his arms. 

“Ben, don’t,” Callum warns, but despite the attack on his hips, everything he can see is bright blue—

Bright blue, a drowning colour, the same shade as Ben’s eyes.

“Alright, spoilsports,” Ben frowns, a smug smile licking at his lips. “Never knew you were so ticklish. That’s brilliant.” 

“Yeah, just _brilliant_ ,” Callum gasps out between breaths, another peel of uncontrollable laughter spilling from his lips as Ben tickles his neck too. He tucks his chin down and traps Ben’s fingers there, trying to wrestle him off.

“You get so grumpy when you’re tired,” Ben coos, rubbing their noses together. Callum sharpens his glare or well, attempts to.

“Maybe you should let me sleep, then” he pokes at his chest, “instead of tickling me.”

They settle back down on the bed, and once Callum’s found a comfortable position, he finds Ben is already watching him, eyes roaming his face, his neck, his shoulders, with an unhurried gaze, eyes pale in the moonlight.

Finally, he lifts his eyes back to Callum’s own, gentle and warm with something behind them, a quiet intent that Callum can’t read entirely. He leans in slowly, slips his eyes closed and rests his forehead against Ben’s, and breathes. A buzzing warmth runs through Callum, oozes from his heart into his limbs. He presses close, slips his eyes closed so it’s just darkness, the rain and Ben’s breathing, his hair tickling his skin and their noses brushing.

It’s just one little moment among many, just a press of their foreheads together. But it still makes Callum’s body sag, still makes him full to the brim with love. 

“I love you, Ben. _I love you so much.”_

“I’m going to ask you to marry me someday,” Ben says in response. It shocks Callum, the way it’s almost conversational, whispered between them.

He opens his eyes. Ben is already watching. “And I’m going to say yes.”

Ben’s smile is a tiny quirk of his lips, a full crinkle of his eyes. He kisses Callum softly, just one, long connection of their lips. They breathe through their noses, air fluttering over their skin. When Callum pulls away, their mouths just rest together, brushing with each inhale and exhale.

“Love you more than anything,” Ben presses the words against his skin, mumbled and slick like he can’t help but let them tumble out now. He raises two hands to his chest too, crosses them over to sign out _Love,_ before pointing a finger at Callum’s chest. 

Slowly, surely, he feels that giddy bubbling low in his stomach. It’s odd, how the butterflies never really go away with Ben. 

After a while, Callum finds his own fingers mindlessly drawing soft shapes and worlds on Ben’s back with his right hand. _Love You. Forever. B + C. <3_. 

“You trying to seduce me, Officer Highway?” Ben drawls, his words all tired and slurred together, voice deep, lids drooping shut. 

“No need, is there?” Callum cradles the back of his head, lowers it onto his chest. His skin is warm, and Ben’s body starts to sink. “Just sleep, I’m here.”

“’Kay,” he whispers, barely a sound, breathing slow. Callum’s fingers are almost a phantom caress, so light and delicate, careful. It lulls his chest into a steady, slow rhythm.

“G’night,” Ben murmurs, kissing his chest. 

“Night,” Callum murmurs back. His lips drag over Ben’s hair, and he lets this moment settle over him, lets the heavy dark encase them.

Surrounded by blue light, Callum curls his arm over Ben’s waist properly, relaxes every muscle in his body one by one until he feels weightless, until all he’s aware of is the strokes of his fingers in Ben’s hair, and the rise and fall of his chest. 

_Steady. Present._

It’s closer to morning than it is to night now, and exhaustion grips their bones’ bones, but it’s overpowered by the desire to have his forever, his moment, this love. 

They fall asleep eventually, wrapped together, the first orange glow of dawn rising outside.

**Author's Note:**

> i'm @dingletragedy on tumblr/twitter 
> 
> stay safe xx


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